The Steelers tie with the Lions leads to several oddities

The most ground yards since the Eisenhower Administration

Probably the most disappointing aspect of the Steelers game is the number of rushing yards the Steelers allowed. Pittsburgh’s defense gave up 229 rushing yards. It’s the most they had ever allowed against a Detroit team since 11/9/1952 when the Lions rushed for 321 yards, led by Lions running back Bob Hoernschemeyer, who gained 107 yards. Six other players combined for the remaining 214 yards.

Overall it’s only the 5th such game since the 2000  season Pittsburgh has allowed that many yards on the ground. Of the 40 games they have allowed at least 229 yards rushing, seven have been between 1985 and 2021. Thirty-one games in which the opponent rushed in excess of 229 yards were between 1940-1969, and between 1970-1979 the Steelers only allowed two such games.

Odder Yet

Of those 40 games in which the Steeler’s defense allowed that many yards on the ground, 24 have been against NFC teams, and only 15 have been against AFC teams.  However, of the 15 games against AFC teams, nine were against the Cleveland Browns. Eight games between 1950 through 1966 and one in 2017. Of those eight, in five of them, Jimmy Brown steamrolled the Steelers. Brown accounted for at least 622 yards in those five games, perhaps more as Cleveland’s individual running back totals are incomplete the 1958 game.